A place to explore questions about Torah, Jewish tradition and how we interact with the world meaningfully.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Blogging Elul Day 6 (late): Do

I just returned to the office after a week's vacation. I've written a dozen thank-you notes, I have a stack of people to call, a meeting in thirty minutes to meet the new community shaliach, and a staff meeting this afternoon.

What do they have in common? They all involve touching others, building relationships, and doing for others.

We often get confused, thinking the goal or outcome is the lesson, the program, the service, the event. It is not. The goal is the student's deepened engagement with the material and for that material to then be transformative in his or her life. The goal is the meaningful connection between and among individuals seeking depth of spirit and relationship.

We expect others to do the work--to make things magically happen. And in truth, we as leaders frequently put the burden on ourselves. But we're facilitators; if we're doing our job correctly, people will want to roll up their sleeves and connect with one another.

I leave off with a quote by the Pastor Andy Stanley (God help me), from his book Visioneering: "Our tendency is to pray for miracles. But in most situations, it is more appropriate to pray for opportunities. More than likely you need an opportunity rather than something supernatural."

The opportunities are all around us. What are you going to do with them?

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About Me

I'm blessed to serve as spiritual leader and teacher of an historic and dynamic Reform Jewish congregation, the only one in the state of Delaware. My hope is to make Torah study, worship and music and community accessible, meaningful and engaging. My family, especially my wife and toddler son, continuously bring me joy and inspiration.